Neurosurgery
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Preservation of facial nerve function following vestibular schwannoma surgery is a high priority. Even those patients with normal to near-normal function in the early postoperative period remain at risk for delayed facial palsy (DFP). ⋯ CI, confidence intervalDFP, delayed facial palsyGTR, gross total resectionHB, House-BrackmannNFP, no facial palsyOR, odds ratioRS, retrosigmoidTL, translabyrinthineVS, vestibular schwannoma.
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The blood-brain barrier represents a fundamental limitation in treating neurological disease because it prevents all neuropeptides from reaching the central nervous system (CNS). Currently, there is no efficient method to permanently bypass the blood-brain barrier. ⋯ ANOVA, analysis of varianceBBB, blood-brain barrierDLS, dorsal lateral striatumGDNF, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factorPBS, phosphate-buffered salinePD, Parkinson disease6-OHDA, 6-hydroxydopamineSNpc, substantia nigra pars compactaTH, tyrosine hydroxylase.
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Case Reports
A Perforating Artery Compressing the Nerve Rootlet and Causing Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia.
A surgical procedure for glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN) was selected from microvascular decompression, glossopharyngeal and upper vagal rhizotomy, or a combination of these procedures based on the presence of arteries compressing the glossopharyngeal and vagal rootlets. The offending artery is usually a main trunk or branch of the cerebellar arteries. A perforating artery is a known but uncommon variation of the offending artery that causes GPN. The appropriate procedure for such cases is unknown. ⋯ Even a small perforating artery can cause GPN when it compresses the rootlet. In such cases, mobilization of the perforating artery with no additional rhizotomy is an effective surgical option.
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Review Meta Analysis
Image Guidance in Ventricular Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt Catheter Placement: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Ventricular shunt placement for treating hydrocephalus is one of the most common neurosurgical procedures. The rate of shunt failure, however, has not appreciably changed with time. ⋯ Although image guidance offers a promising solution to lower the risk of inaccurate catheter placement, which could lead to lower premature failure of ventricular shunts, our review demonstrated that there is not yet a clear benefit of these technologies. Current literature is limited to case series and cohort studies, and significant between-study heterogeneity in methodology and reporting currently limits a higher order analysis.